It's Epilepsy Awareness Month, so let's continue with our series of blogs about our Epilepsy Community members' experiences with this disease. Below is an interview with member "akamine2525." Earlier this year, she gave the following interview in our monthly newsletter. Want to know what keeps akamine2525 motivated, who she admires and how epilepsy has affected her work life? Read and share on.
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| (Amy) What keeps you motivated? | |
 | (akamine2525) Throughout the years I have been on many different medications for seizures. I've had pretty much all different type of seizures from grand mal to absence seizures. I have had psychogenic seizures due to previous abuse and bipolar disorder due to previous abuse. My doctors at Straub Hospital in Honolulu are the ones I trust the most with my recovery. My current physician, Dr. James Pearce, just recently started me on Keppra, which by far has helped me the most with all of my seizures and my bipolar disorder. |
| (Amy) Who do you admire and why? | |
| (akamine2525)I admire all of the people who try to learn how to control their seizures with alternative ways such as diet, exercise, supplements, herbs, and religious activities if they are religious also helps a lot. It says a lot to me if a person tries to find control of their seizures because it says I really want to make life as easy as possible, not letting limitations get in my way. |
| (Amy) How has your condition affected your work life? | |
| (akamine2525) For a while, seizures and bipolar disorder had a lot to do with work. Because my seizures were so out of control several years ago, it limited the amount that I worked, but when I was able to work, I did more than I could beyond my limits. Today, I don't work, and I care for my dog, but if I had the opportunity to work again I would consider it. |
| (Amy) What's your favorite part of PatientsLikeMe? | |
| (akamine2525) My favorite part of PatientsLikeMe is I get to hear from other people who have the same conditions as me and also try to help them to get better with alternative ways besides prescription medication. My goal is to help others to limit their prescription medications if possible and to deal with seizures in other ways. |
| (Amy) Thanks so much for sharing, akamine2525! |